Simon R. Green

The last of this series I found in my local library. Another mystery for Ishmael Jones - this time a supposedly haunted house. I will say I spotted the murder method once the victim had died; Ngaio Marsh used it in one of her books.

Overall my impression of the series is that it's light, disposable reading. I can't say I'll go out of my way to find the missing titles; the books are pretty well stand-alone although there are occasional references to earlier works.

Recommended, but don't expect a great read.… (más)

I couldn't wait to complain about this book. That said, this reviews the dramatized version. Spoilers ahead.
To begin with, I couldn't help thinking, "This is Dr. Watson!" and making a comparison to the Graphic Audio dramatized versions of the Warlock Holmes series, which are brilliant, funny, and I highly recommend. But before I get into it, I'd like to thank the author, Simon R. Green, for this happy opportunity to rant and I apologize in advance for not reading any more of his oeuvre.
Now, is it a parody of the murder at the manor house trope? In that case, it's not funny enough. Oh, there's humor, like a butler (that buttles, not a gentleman's gentleman) whose employer insists on calling "Jeeves." The protagonist and narrator, Ishmael Jones, has cornered the market in deadpan. Also, in what sort of mystery does the detective sit in the assigned bedroom at night and wait for each suspect to sneak one by one out of their rooms and give him their opinions/alibis? See? This is why I assumed it was a parody.
The teaser at the end of one of the Warlock Holmes dramatizations gives most of the plot away: a detective whose shtick is he's an alien, a real one, i. e. not of this world; his boss, the Colonel of some mysterious organization, is dead before he arrives; and the killer is a vampire. The solution is a Chekhov's gun that I saw coming a mile away. You don't bring up the gold blood (What does that mean? Gold color? Liquid gold? And why couldn't the vampire tell by smelling him?) for no reason. Also predictable: everyone will die except the putative, or maybe just wannabe, girlfriend.
Everything is over-the-top. This is the worst snowstorm in British history - despite global warming. The wassail brew, or whatever, is undrinkable. Everyone hates everyone else (of course, it's Christmas). The victims are picked off one by one in 24 hours. One victim is stuffed up a chimney to cover up any clues. The vampire is a gloater, big time, and is not the sort to wear white tie and tails or sparkle in the sun (there's a relief).
Green deftly handles the modern day presence of cellphones which would have rendered most of Agatha Christie's plots null and void. The police are too busy or just unwilling to come out in the snow. The mysterious Organization is also delayed by the weather.
Someone might enjoy this. I'm not a fan of horror and started listening to the build-up in increments to keep from getting overwrought (which is telling - it is pretty gripping and I felt I had to finish it even though it had been free on Audible) and finally speeded up again when I was confident of the ending.… (más)